4 Tips for Classic Fluffy Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes lose their luster as they sit. Try to serve them right away after finishing them. If you make them ahead and want to reheat them, do so slowly with the help of a double boiler. This way, they won't burn.

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Tip 2: Pick the right potato.

There are plenty of different kinds of potatoes out there, but all fall into three categories: waxy, starchy and all-purpose. When you're talking mashed potatoes, select either a starchy potato or an all-purpose.

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Tip 3: Pick the right tool for mashing.

Even if you've picked the right potatoes, overmixing mashed potatoes can lead to a stiff, chewy texture. Keep them fluffy by mashing them through a ricer for smooth potatoes or a hand-held masher for chunkier potatoes.

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Tip 4: Don't overcook or undercook the potatoes.

Cooking the potatoes just right is key. If they're undercooked, you'll have pockets of crispy potato chunks. If you overcook them, they disintegrate, and your potatoes will be soupy. The specific cooking time varies: a perfectly cooked piece of potato should give no resistance when cut with a knife but shouldn't crumble.

Click through for recipes with mashed potatoes and put your new skills to use!

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Mashed Potatoes With Butternut Squash

To achieve a nice texture, pass the potatoes through a food mill or a fine-mesh sieve. If you choose to mash them by hand, be gentle; otherwise, the potatoes will turn gluey.

The creamy texture of these mashed potatoes is achieved without cream or milk. Instead, use the cooking liquid to moisten the puree, adding just a small amount of butter or olive oil to provide a luxurious finish.

My grandmother used to make the most amazing smooth-as-silk mashed potatoes that were never gummy, lumpy or dry. What was her secret? Tons of butter and whole milk.

I would love to follow in her footsteps and make her recipe as is, but I would have to spend the next month on the treadmill working those potatoes off.

So I've decided to forgo my grandmother's version of classic, fluffy mashed potatoes and look into healthier ways to get the same result. We've tested and developed many mashed potato recipes in the EatingWell Test Kitchen, discovering a few tips to getting the classic fluffy result without the aid of tons of butter and full-fat milk.

Check out the slideshow above for tips on making fluffy mashed potatoes and related recipes.